Why Indoor Air Quality Can Be Worse than Outdoor Air

CNBC reported in 2016 that indoor air can be far deadlier than outdoor air, especially when you consider that the average person living in a city spends as much as 90 percent of his or her time indoors rather than out. The report goes on to say that using coal or biomass burning stoves alone has lead to more deaths (4.3 million) each year than outdoor air pollution (3.7 million). The EPA also reports that the concentrations of some pollutants are two to five percent higher indoors than outdoors.

What’s to Blame for Deteriorating Indoor Air Quality?Why is indoor air quality so much worse than outdoor air? This is a great question, especially when you consider we are working so hard to build homes and offices that are more energy efficient than ever before?

Some believe this dedication to energy efficiency may be, at least partially, to blame for the worsening quality of indoor air. Of course, there is more to it than just that. But, it’s a good place to begin looking for answers.

The other problem involves pollutants brought into homes and buildings. There are the usual suspects, mold spores and allergens walked in on shoes and the paws of pets. Then there are a few surprising sources of pollutants brought into your home in the form of chemicals introduced through off-gassing when you bring new furniture into your home, paint a room, or even cook with certain types of oils.

Don’t forget the usual suspects for bringing air quality down like smoking tobacco, lingering moisture in kitchens and bathrooms, and exposure to colds and other viruses. These germs, once brought into the home, have nowhere to go to escape well ventilated homes and offices.

Opening your windows is an excellent way to accomplish that. One way to kick your efforts up a notch – or twenty – is to install a whole house fan. Whole house fans draw fresh air into your home through open windows on lower floors, but also works to push the stale, toxic air out of your home through vents installed in your roof – creating greatly improved indoor air quality for your entire family to enjoy.

Here at WholeHouseFan.com, we offer several types of whole house fans, designed to pull cool ―and fresh air into your home. Take a look at our whole house fans (we offer an exclusive 90-day risk-free purchase guarantee and free shipping). Give us a call at 1.888.229.5757 if you have any questions.